Fountain pen



July 18, 1933. T. KovAcs FOUNTAIN PEN Filed May 7, 1932 Invenior: meagerK0 l/ zpg I 77 I I I /zW////W V Patented July 18, 1933 UNITED STATES,

PATENT-OFFICE THEODOR KOVACS, OF BERLIN-SGHONEIBERG, GERMANY FOUNTAINPEN Application filed May 7, 1932, Serial No. 609,944, and in GermanyMay 9, 1931.

Myinvention relates to fountain pens of the type in which the ink isdrawn in by means of a plunger which is moved up and down by means ofascrew drive; one element of this screw drive is fast with the plunger sothat it par-takes of the up and down motion thereof and isnon-rotatable, whereas the other element is fast with the barrel and cana only rotate but cannot move up and down.

My invention relates more particularly to fountain pens of the kindreferred to, in which by means of a packing, which tightens therotatable element against the bottom of the container, anyink which mayleak past theplunger' to the space beyond it isvprevented from runningout,

In such fountain pens the downward movement of the plunger may easilygive 1: rise to a vacuum above the plunger which draws the ink into thisspace.

It is an object of my invention to prevent any ink which mayhavepassedinto the space above the plunger from running out a and alsoto prevent a vacuum being produced d above the plunger even when packingis used.

A further object'of my invention is to pre vent unintentional movementof the plunger, due to an accidental movement of the handle.

Other objects of the invention will be made '8) clear from the followingdescription:,

, According to the invention the space he tween the plunger and thebottom of the fountain pen barrel communicates by a chan- -j j nel withthe outside, and means are provided toclose this channel when thefountain pen has been filled.

When there is a packing between the element of the drive which isrotatable but not movable longitudinallyand the upper end of the barrel,the invention is preferably carried into effect byfproviding the saidelement of the drive with an air channel terminating at one end in thespace above the plunger and at the other end beyond the packing at theoutside, the channel being provided with closing means. p I a r i In oneconstructional form of the inven- 7 tion, the plunger rod-is hollow andprovided with a female thread, While the screwspindle is atttached tothe rotating knob and has a hole passing through'its entire length.

In the preferred embodiment ofthe inven-' tion, the outer end of the airchannel is closed by a cap screwed on to the top of the barrel, which atthe same time protects the rotating knob from unintentional rotation;the inner end of the air channel may be closed by the plunger itself orby a projection on the e plunger. 7

The drawing illustrates as embodiments of the invention the top jendsoftwo fountain pens constructed in accordance with the inventlon.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a section through the top of a fountain penwithpacking, and Figure 2 is a section through the top of a fountain penwithout packing.

Similar parts are indicated by the same m reference numbers. n v

In Figure 1, 1 is the top end of a fountain I pen, 101 is its end. 2 isa spindle: provided with a coarse male-thread and passing rotatablythrough the barrelend 101. At its outer end is firmly fixed a knob 3 forrotating it, An annular surface of the knob and an annular surface ofthe spindle bear on corresponding annular surfaces ofthe barrel end andthereby prevent longitudinal movement of the spindle and its knob ineither direction. The knob- 3, has a cylindrical projection 8 whichembraces a corresponding.cylindrical projection 7 of the barrel endlOllwhereby the length of the knob is increased and it is made 'easierto grasp without increasingv the overall length of the fountain pen. 4isthehollow rod of the suction plunger 5; it isprovided with a femalethread fitting the male thread of the spindle 2. 6 is an air tightpack.- 1 ing betweenthe spindle 2 andthe barrel end 101. 9'is a capwhichis placed over the knob 3 and is detachably screwed on to thebarrel end101.

Through the whole lengthof the spindle 2 there is a. hole 12 and thespace 10 above the plunger is connected with the hole 12 by a hole 11inthe plunger rode; The plunger 5 has a projection 13 which closes theinner end of the channel 12 when the plunger is drawn up to the end ofits movement and the one surface 15 against the outer surface of thebarrel end 101, While the spindle 1s located by a shoulder 115 againstthe inner surface of the barrel end.

The hollow plunger rod ends in a cone 105' and the spacelO above theplunger. ends in a hollow cone 105 fitting the cone 105. r

The space 10 communicates with the out side by a hole 16 of which theinner end 1s m the hollow cone 105 and the outer end in the thread onwhich the cap 9 is screwed.

An air channel corresponding to the channel 16 could also pass throughthe end wall of the barrel instead of through its side wall.

For filling the pen the cap 9 is unscrewed and the plunger is moved inthe usual manner by rotation of the knob 3 down and up 1 again; thencap9 is screwed home.

r In the fountain pen according to Figure 1, the projection 13 thencloses the inner opening ofthe channel 12 and the projection 14 theouter opening thereof. V

. In the fountain pen according to F1 gure 22, the conical surface. 105'closes the inner opening of the channel 16 .and the cap?) closes itsouter opening.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to theexact details of construction shown. and described forobviousmodifications will occur to a person-skilled in the art. 7 V r In theclaims afiixed to this specification no selection of any particularmodification of the invention is intended to the exclusion of" othermodifications thereof and the right to subsequently make claim toanymodification not covered bythese claims is expressly reserved. V

i What I claim is: v V

1. In a self-filling fountain pen: a plunger slidablein the barrel forfilling purposes; a screw drive to the plunger comprisinga ro- Qtatabl'e element fixed longitudinally. and a longitudinally movableelement fixedas regards rotation the barrelbeing provided with a ventcommunicating withthe space above the plunger; and a removable closurefor the vent. v r

2. In aself-filling fountain pen: a plunger slidable in the barrel forfilling pu 'PQSS; a screw drive to the plunger comprising a rotatable"element fixed longitudinally and 'a longitudinally movable element fixedas regards rotation, the rotatable elementbeing provided with a ventcommunicating with the space above the plunger; and a removaole closurefor the vent. I

3. Ina self-filling fountain pen: a plunger slidabl'ein the barrel forfilling purposes; a hollow plunger rod; a screw drive to the the capisscrewed home.

a central bore communicating with the space above the plunger; and aremovable closure for the bore.' v

.4. In a self-filling fountain pen a plunger slidable in the barrel forfilling purposes; a hollow plunger rod; a screw drive to the plungercomprising a female thread in the hollow. of the plunger rod and aspindle with male thread engaging it, the spindle having a central borecommunicating with the space above the plunger; and a projection on theplunger closing the bore at the top position of the plunger. 7 I p i 5.In a self-filling fountain pen z a plunger slidable in the barrel forfilling purposes; a:

hollow plunger rod; a screw drive to the plunger comprising a femalethread in the hollow of male thread engaging it; the spindle having acentral bore communicating withthe space above the plunger; and a screwcap over the filling mechanism engaging the bore when p 6. In aself-filling fountain pen: a plunger slidable in the barrel for fillingpurposes; a hollow plunger rod; a screw drive to the plun er Hcomprising a female thread in the the plunger rod and a spindle withhollow of the plunger rod and aspindle with male thread engaging it;airtight packing between the spindle and the barrel, the spindle havinga. central bore communicating with the space above the plunger andextending beyond said packing; and removable closing means for the bore.V

7 In a self-filling fountain pen a plunger slidable in the barrel forfilling purposes; a hollow plunger rod; a screw drive to the plungercomprising a female thread in the hollow of'the plunger rod and aspindle with male thread engaging it, the barrel being 7 provided at itstopwith a vent adapted to be closed by the plunger rod 'in itsnormalposition. p 1

8.' In a self-filling fountainpen; a plunger slidable in the barrel forfilling purposes; a hollow plunger rod; a screw drive to the plungercomprising a female thread in the hollow of the plunger rod and aspindle with male thread engaging it, the barrel being provided at itstop .end with a" vent adapted to be closed by the engagement of aconical surface on the top end of the plunger rod with a hollow cone inthe bottom of the barrel.

, 9. In a s lf-fillingfountain'pen: a plunger 'shdable in the barrelforfilling purposes; a

hollow plunger rod; a screw drive to the plunger comprising a femalethread in the hollow ofthe plunger rod and a spindle with male threadengaging it; a protective cap over the filling mechanism adapted to bescrewed on the barrel, said barrel being provided at its top end with avent adapted to be closed on its exterior orifice by said capwhen in itsnormal position.

10. In a self-filling fountain pen: a plunger slidable inthe barrel forfilling purposes; a hollow plunger rod having, a transverse hole nearits bottom end; a screw drive to the plunger comprising a female thread.in the hollow of the plunger rod and'a spindle with a male threadengaging it, the spindle having a central bore communicating'with thespace above the plunger; airtight packing between said spindle and thebarrel; a projectionon the plunger closing the end of said central boreat the top position ofthe plunger; a

knob on the end of the spindle and a screw cap over the fillingmechanism havinga pro jection engaging the other end. of the bore whenthe cap is screwed home.

11. In a self-filling fountain pen: a plunger slidable in the barrel forfilling purposes;

a hollow plunger'rod; a screw drive to the plunger comprising a femalethread in the hollowof the plunger rod and a spindle with male threadengaging it; an operating knob on the end of the spindle; aprotective'cap adapted to be screwed over said knob, the

' barrel being provided at its top end with a vent adapted to be closedon its interior end by the engagement 'of "a conical surface on the topend of the plunger rod with a hollow cone in the end of the barrel, andon its exterior end by said screw'cap whenin its normal position. V

12. In a sClf-filling fountain pen: a plungfor purposes slidablein thebarrel; ill

in operative connection with said plunger a screw drive comprising arotatable element unslidably secured to the barrel; airtight packingbetween said element andsaid barrel, said rotatable element beingprovided with a; longitudinal vent communicating with the space abovethe plungerand ex tending beyond said packing;- and closingh 1 means forsaid'vent.

I 13. In a self-filling fountain pen :a plunge er slidable in the barrelfor filling purposes;

a screw drive in operative connection .with the plunger, said screwdrive comprisin a rotatableelement fixed longitudinally and alongitudinallymovable element fixed' as reg'ards rotation; the barrelbeing provided;

with a vent communicating with the space above the plunger; said ventbeing adapted tobe closed by the longitudinallymovable element.

14. In a self-fillingfountainpen;a plung er sl'idable in the barrel forfilling purposes;

a screw drive in operative connection with" said'plunger; said screwdrive having a ro-' tatable element fixed longitudinally; a hallf dlefixedly secured to saidrotatable'element; a and a detachable protectingcap for the hana f THEODQR KovAos.

